Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

I want to try a fishing trip to Alaska or somewhere next summer (2008). Would be a group of 6 or 7 of us mostly my brothers and maybe a cousin. I really have no clue where to even start...

I think we want to at least catch Kings, Reds, and Silvers, maybe spend a day after Halibut too...

How do you go about planning to do all this in one 7-14 day trip? Can it be done? Or would I have to target only one or two fish species? Are all these available in good supply at the same time, if so when and where?


Can we do this without a guide? Is it best to drive or fly? Well I guess thats enough questions for now, in fact I am sure way too many questions and I am just getting started...Any info or links greatly appreciated.


^BIGBONE^

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

FIRST BRING UP ALASKA FISHING ON A SEARCH ENGINE, IT WILL SHOW YOU A ALASKA FISHING CALENDAR. THE CALENDAR WILL SHOW YOU ALL SPECIES OF FISH & THE PEAK TIMES THAT THEY RUN IN WHATEVER PART OF ALASKA YOU WANT TO GO TO....TIMEING IS EVERYTHING. SECOND....CALL THE ALASKA DEPT. OF F&G...THEY WILL POINT YOU IN A GOOD DIRECTION.I HAVE HAD A BALL EVERYTIME I FISHED ALASKA, GOING AGAIN IN 2008.-------YD.

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

Thanks, I will start doing some research.


^BIGBONE^

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

If you want to catch kings and reds come in june/july but silvers are here in august. Lots of places to choose from. The kenai and russian is probably the most popular spots to do both. Russian is combat fishing for reds but you can hike and get away from people. Im not real fimilar with the kenai but i beleive it better if you float it. Also anchor, Kasilof(spelling)have both kings and reds but i have limited time there. Also some other streams are Ship creek in anchorage but its combat for kings. Willow,montana and deshka all combat for kings. Over in the copper basin the gulkana and klutina have both but not as many people fishing them. You may want to float a river but thats a whole nother page. This is allot of vague info but i could write all day. Oh yeah Halibut is pretty much june thru aug and i know some will say homer or seward but i like valdez. If you do come make sure you study the regs they are tricky to say the least. Good luck and i hope this helps. Gary

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

I would look at the Naknek - out of King Salmon. There are some good guides there and probably some boat rental places.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

Mountaineer,
Thanks alot every bit of info helps. I know its painful to type away not knowing if the idiot on the other end is even worth the trouble, but again I appreciate the help.

I know this type trip will require some serious research and planning. This would be basically a once-in-a-lifetime deal especially for my Dad who I forgot to mention is one of the big reasons we need to do this..., He's never been, always wanted to go, and needs to go at least once. He is in good shape now, we did a 9 mile each way backpack trip two years ago and he outwalked most of us.

I wonder if the Vedder River in BC is as good as Alaska? I have heard ise real good, not sure if there are Halibut nearby but I think we could drive there.

Still Alaska sounds much better, just really have to do lost of research...



^BIGBONE^

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

this is my first summer living here, so i do not yet know it all, but everything folks have offered here is sound advice.

given what you said, i would shoot for second week in june if i only had one week to spend...DIY on the first run of reds in the russian (yes, it's crowded and there are bears, but the reds are there if you are willing to hike a bit during "normal human hours" or your other option is to stay up all night to fish the popular spots), charter a guide for Kings on the Kenai for a day or two, and then charter for halibut out of Valdez. The drive itself into Valdez is worth the trip, but info for the halibut charter i used is below. if you research you will be very impressed with the number of derby winning fish Captain Dan's boat consistently brings to port. Reserve early if you want Captain Dan...Reel Pleasure Charters - SBH Slip J-00 PO Box 483, Valdez, AK 99686; 907-835-5561 Speciality: Halibut / Salmon Full day Halibut, 1/2 day Salmon Charters, Transportation & Sightseeing available. i am headed out on another halibut/silver salmon charter Monday out of Whittier, so if you want a report, email me.

i caught my halibut out of Valdez early season before the real biggies begin to show up, but I was still happy with second place in the derby for the week!



My friends and I also caught red snapper



and some ling cod (these were out of season so we had to release them)



GOOD LUCK!

note: if you really want to be able to hit all the salmon runs and fish deep saltwater whenever you want, hunt sitka deer, moose, caribou, and dall sheep, then do like i did and move here ;-)!!!

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

Nice photos berto! It looks like you're really having fun up there. I envy you!

Eel

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

Go to www.thehuntdoctor.com and click "the fish doctor", then check out reccommended outfitters - Alaska Premier Fishing Lodge".

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

LAST EDITED ON Aug-15-07 AT 02:05PM (MST)[p]Eel,

yep, i am making the most of it up here.

don't envy me, just move yourself up here like i did! ;-)

My report for the charter I took out of Whittier two days ago: weather was perfect, but the halibut were not willing to cooperate! Oh well, made the most of the awesome weather anyway (it's raining hard right now)

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

I wouldn't listen to berto, he still lives in Montana and only dreams of being up here right now. He's having to live vicariously through me. Halibut is some good eating. If possible I would recommend checking out Sitka for pretty much all of your fishing needs. You won't get a whole lot of stream fishing (you can if you want) but the ocean fishing is sick, tons of salmon, halibut, rock fish, ling cod, shrimp, crabs, you name it. The deer are also stupid thick. You can still catch salmon while they are in the ocean and they tend to taste better.

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

Well again I appreciate all the help and encouragement...

I definately gotta get up there!!!


^BIGBONE^

RE: Fishing Alaska Next Summer/ Help

I can only help you with my part of Alaska and that would be the Southeastern Panhandle. I would go to Craig or Sitka for sportsfishing. Reds will be a little tough, but POW Island (Craig) has some good runs. Here is run timing information:

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/runtim/runtim.cfm

I'd also suggest you check out the Weekly Sports Fishing report. You can look at the historical rod-hour averages for all the major S.E. port. Craig and Sitka are consistently the best.
I have sat and watched the charter boats come back to Craig. The 6-pack boat (6 persons max) can limit out on a 1/2 day charter for Kings, Cohos & Halibut in 4 hours. When they are done with those, you can fish for rockfish and lingcod. WORLD CLASS SALTWATER FISHING.

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/Region1/weekly/r1weekly_fishing.cfm

Shelter Cove Lodge is very nice and Sunnahae Lodge are a couple of good ones in Craig. I'm going to be down there in a couple of weeks on business. I'll pack my travel fly rod and swat a few fies.

http://www.princeofwalescoc.org/charters.html

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